Q. What is the internal process for limited submission CPRIT applications?

A. Texas A&M University: For those opportunities that are limited submissions, an email of intent should be sent to limitedsubmissions@tamu.edu. Details about forms, deadlines, policy, and procedures are available on the limited submissions page. You will be informed at the time of selection which of the research administration offices you may use to help prepare and submit your application.

TAMHSC: For those opportunities that are limited submissions, a letter of intent should be sent to the Office of the Vice President for Research and Graduate Studies (research@tamhsc.edu) that should include the principal pnvestigator(s) (PI) and collaborators with names and institutions along with the proposed title of the project. If there are multiple faculty members who are interested in responding to the RFA, there may be a need for a short pre-proposal. In that case, investigators will be notified individually of the deadline.

Q. Can CPRIT award recipients use the funds to conduct research outside of Texas?

A. CPRIT-funded research and delivery of prevention programs and services must be conducted in Texas. CPRIT award funds may not be used to fund out-of-state collaborators.

Q. Do I need to list an alternate submitter or Application Signing Official (ASO) on the electronic application?

A. Yes, when the PI registers in the CPRIT electronic system, the PI will need to list an Authorized Signing Official. CPRIT’s application receipt system provides a search function for an institution’s assigned ASO. If the returned information does not correspond to the individual you wish to serve as ASO on your proposal, there is a “Send An Invitation” link to initiate the process of adding an ASO to CPRIT’s database.

Q. What indirect cost rate do we use?

A. Texas state law limits indirect costs associated with a CPRIT award to no more than 5 percent of the total award. For example, a recipient of a $100,000 award from CPRIT may spend up to $5,000 of the CPRIT funds on indirect costs and $95,000 on direct costs. (The 5 percent of total costs is equivalent to 5.263 percent of direct costs.) For example, a budget with direct costs of $435,000 would be allowed $22,895 in indirect costs, for a total budget of $457,895.

Q. What are some examples of costs that may be considered direct costs?

A. Examples include:

Salaries and fringe benefits of personnel, including faculty, technicians, post doctoral fellows, graduate research assistants, and other personnel directly engaged in performing the sponsored project's scope of work subject to certain limitations included in the award contract or RFA.

Tuition and fees for personnel directly engaged in performing the sponsored project's scope of work.

Supplies and materials (including cost of animals) necessary for performing the grant's scope of work, including educational material when approved in the budget.

Research costs, including institutional review board costs, facility fees, research office, etc., that are reasonable, directly associated with the grant's scope of work, and approved in the budget.

Rental and leasing costs for grant projects conducted in rental space not owned by the grant recipient may be approved in extraordinary circumstances.

Subcontracts necessary for performing the sponsored project's specific scope of work and approved in the budget.

Consultant services contracted to accomplish specific grant objectives and approved in the budget.

Equipment, including capital equipment (as established by the state of Texas capitalization threshold), that can be allocated to the grant and that is specifically approved in the budget. Equipment costing in excess of $5,000 must be authorized by CPRIT.

Service and maintenance agreements on equipment and facilities (including animal facility maintenance) directly associated with the grant and approved in the budget.

Q. What are some examples of costs that will not be considered direct costs?

A. Examples include:

Salaries of clerical and administrative personnel engaged in routine departmental or administrative work that benefits all activities of the department (instruction, research, training, public service, etc.), i.e., there is no direct relationship to the sponsored grant's scope of work.

Supplies and materials for routine departmental or administrative activities of the department that benefit all activities of the department (instruction, research, training, public service, etc.), i.e., there is no direct relationship to the sponsored grant's scope of work.

Other costs, such as repairs, fees and services, local and long distance telephone expenses, copying, and postage, that are for routine departmental or administrative use and do not have a direct relationship to the sponsored grant's scope of work.

General office items with multifunctional use, such as computers, fax machines, answering machines, staplers, hole punches, filing cabinets, chairs, desks, calculators, waste baskets, etc., that do not have a direct relationship to the sponsored grant's scope of work.

Costs being paid by another source.

Q. What are some examples of unallowable expenditures?

A. Examples include:

Bad debt: Any losses arising from uncollectible accounts and other claims and related costs

Benefit Replacement Pay or legislatively mandated pay increases for eligible General Revenue funded state employees in state agencies or universities

Contingencies: Contributions to a contingency reserve or any similar provision for unforeseen events

Honorary gift or gratuitous payment instead of being compensated for services rendered

Interest and other financial costs: Interest on borrowing and cost of financing

Legislative expenses

Liability insurance coverage

Patient support services; costs relating to services such as personal care items and financial assistance for low-income clients

Professional association fees and dues for agencies and individuals

Promotional items

Q. Are institutional matching funds required?

A. Several Research and Commercialization RFAs specify the requirement for a certification of matching funds at the time the award contract is executed. This is not required at the time of application. The recipient of a multi-year award may demonstrate available funds on a year-by-year basis.

If applicable, awardee institutions are required to certify the availability of funds, equal to one-half of the CPRIT funding, dedicated to the cancer research category that is the subject of the grant request. For this purpose, CPRIT has identified five cancer research categories:

Cancer Treatment (includes drug discovery and development and clinical trials)

Funds available to be spent on cancer research are measured at the category and institutional level, not at the individual PI/PD level.

The requirement for matching funds is discussed in detail in CPRIT’s Policy and Procedure Guide and in CPRIT’s Grant Application and Award FAQs. If you receive notification of a grant award that requires this certification, please contact your institution’s research division or your grants administrator regarding the process for providing the matching funds certification.

Q. For responding to the Conflict of Interest question during the on-line application process, how can I identify individuals who serve in an advisory capacity to CPRIT?

A. Listings of various CPRIT advisory committee members can be found on the CPRIT website.